Police Pull Over White Van Man Behind Me On His Handheld

[loginandtonic]

Pretty smart cop in a marked car just pulling out of his nick noticed the van driver behind me was on his phone, gave him a tug right in a busy cafe society type street so that all and sundry could see using your handheld while driving was something you can actually get caught for in real life. nice one, i thought, and before you say they should have better things to do - its school holidays and if you're driving around head down talking on the phone like mr van driver was with loads of small kids around up ahead, an ounce of prevention is worth a tragic accident of cure. btw Mr Vanman was so busy on his phone call he didnt see or hear the police vehicle siren and lights flash right behind him, so i pulled left, van overtook me and continued on and i got out of the way so that OB could finally get the van driver's attention and stop him.

One thing that really really winds me up as a driver is people on their phones or texting as they drive, its just never possible to give 100% to the road if you're on your phone, handsfree or handheld. essential business tool is it, how did people manage years ago then? we still had businessmen running properly successful companies long before mobile phones came along. all mobiles do is make a member of staff who'd take your messages redundant.

[Guest X-QUORK]

Pretty smart cop in a marked car just pulling out of his nick noticed the van driver behind me was on his phone, gave him a tug right in a busy cafe society type street so that all and sundry could see using your handheld while driving was something you can actually get caught for in real life. nice one, i thought, and before you say they should have better things to do - its school holidays and if you're driving around head down talking on the phone like mr van driver was with loads of small kids around up ahead, an ounce of prevention is worth a tragic accident of cure. btw Mr Vanman was so busy on his phone call he didnt see or hear the police vehicle siren and lights flash right behind him, so i pulled left, van overtook me and continued on and i got out of the way so that OB could finally get the van driver's attention and stop him.

One thing that really really winds me up as a driver is people on their phones or texting as they drive, its just never possible to give 100% to the road if you're on your phone, handsfree or handheld. essential business tool is it, how did people manage years ago then? we still had businessmen running properly successful companies long before mobile phones came along. all mobiles do is make a member of staff who'd take your messages redundant.

Yes, but how much is his property worth?

[worzel]

The police should have better things to do

[Mark Uttley]

I nearly got run off the road this morning when an idiot on his mobile phone failed to give way at a roundabout. I had to brake suddenly and dropped my razor into my cornflakes!

[worzel]

I nearly got run off the road this morning when an idiot on his mobile phone failed to give way at a roundabout. I had to brake suddenly and dropped my razor into my cornflakes!

That was a close shave

[loginandtonic]

and the other thing to watch out for are continental truckers watching DVDs on their laptop as they drive along. some of them have a camera filming from the windscreen with the road ahead inset into the DVD player screen so that they can watch their movie and the road ahead at the same time. i just hope they can butter some toast without moving too far from the DVD unit, i wouldnt want them to miss any important scenes.

[The Masked Tulip]

Just got in from going out for a drive - several van and cars went past me at various times, often on narrow bends, with nutters with one hand on the wheel and another on the mobile next to an ear.

[Guest X-QUORK]

It's rife in France, really noticeable. Not sure if they have a law against it though.

[non frog]

It's rife in France, really noticeable. Not sure if they have a law against it though.

Yes it is illegal here too. However, if "les flics" were to stop people they would soon find they were doing nothing else.

It is not unusual to see lorry drivers and even bus drivers on the hand held.

Given that half the people are pissed or stoned to start with its quite a good idea to drive defensively

French people generally obey laws that are enforced and ignore all others. Speeding is the big thing at the minute with cameras sprouting up everywhere and stealth traps on motorways (beware of white estate cars at the roadside...) Anyone caught at 50kmh over the limit is also a candidate for jail time if the judiciary don't like the look of you (a bit brown or dark, Arab looking for example ) The fine is €2,000 and a 3 year ban.

Far safer to be a bit pissed and drive slowly

[juvenal]

A fiend of mine lost both his parents to an oncoming driver who was changing cassettes, looking down, and hit them head on. All three died instantly.

[6538]

Using a hand-held phone whilst driving is insanely dangerous and, to be quite honest, using a hands-free is only marginally safer. This is precisely the type of thing that the police should be stopping people for.

I believe that in some countries any use of a phone in a car by the driver is illegal, Japan springs to mind. I wouldn't have any problems with that being the case in this Country.

[Executive Sadman]

The police should have better things to do

The whole 'phone' thing is absurd because the very enforcers of it, the police, for many years talked on handheld CB type radios while driving, still do in the US. But of course, theyre all inherently better drivers than the rest of us who never crash, never speed, never jump lights etc etc.

[6538]

The whole 'phone' thing is absurd because the very enforcers of it, the police, for many years talked on handheld CB type radios while driving, still do in the US. But of course, theyre all inherently better drivers than the rest of us who never crash, never speed, never jump lights etc etc.

It's not absurd. Phones aren't CB's and they aren't used in the same way; although I'm not saying that a CB isn't distracting, necessarily. Indeed, using a handheld CB is still perfectly legal.

Using a mobile phone, especially texting, whilst driving is stupidly dangerous. Like I said, I'd quite happily see a ban on all phone use whilst driving.

[I_Claudius]

It's not absurd. Phones aren't CB's and they aren't used in the same way; although I'm not saying that a CB isn't distracting, necessarily. Indeed, using a handheld CB is still perfectly legal.

Using a mobile phone, especially texting, whilst driving is stupidly dangerous. Like I said, I'd quite happily see a ban on all phone use whilst driving.

agreed

saw a complete tool recently driving a bentley fairly fast whilst smoking a pipe, talking animatedly into his phone which he'd wedged in between his ear and shoulder and............... shaving with an electric shaver.

[Prescience]

It is only mainly power steering that has fostered these habits.

In my mind, people who allow any distraction whilst hurtling along the road simply demonstrate their complete and utter contempt for others.

Nothing is so urgent that it cannot wait until a driver can park up safely without inconveniencing other road users and rabbit away to their heart's content.

Cell phones have simply encouraged people to indulge in pointless dialogue.

Whilst the service provider's meter ticks up nice profits..............................

[Guest KingCharles1st]

I'll never forget the time my birds head got jammed between my knees and the steering wheel, and then her hair got caught in the indicator thingies- good thing they put non slip rubber on the brake pedal

[loginandtonic]

A fiend of mine lost both his parents to an oncoming driver who was changing cassettes, looking down, and hit them head on. All three died instantly.

awful

Using a hand-held phone whilst driving is insanely dangerous and, to be quite honest, using a hands-free is only marginally safer. This is precisely the type of thing that the police should be stopping people for.

I believe that in some countries any use of a phone in a car by the driver is illegal, Japan springs to mind. I wouldn't have any problems with that being the case in this Country.

+1

The whole 'phone' thing is absurd because the very enforcers of it, the police, for many years talked on handheld CB type radios while driving, still do in the US. But of course, theyre all inherently better drivers than the rest of us who never crash, never speed, never jump lights etc etc.

big difference, brief comms/sentences, typically taking 2 to 20 secs per comm at most, no involved conversations going on for some time. imo experienced driver opinion - mobile use while driving should be 100% banned except if in an emergency (ie "help i think i am being followed by a sibley")

[worzel]

You have to get this in perspective, lots of things are dangerous, driving in the first place, cycling a bike in London, smoking, having sex etc etc. When we go down the route of seriously punishing people for individual offences that will not stop others from doing equally dangerous things then we are in a lot more trouble. Do you lot propose we lock up people that talk on their phones whilst driving? Where would we put them all?

[I_Claudius]

You have to get this in perspective, lots of things are dangerous, driving in the first place, cycling a bike in London, smoking, having sex etc etc. When we go down the route of seriously punishing people for individual offences that will not stop others from doing equally dangerous things then we are in a lot more trouble. Do you lot propose we lock up people that talk on their phones whilst driving? Where would we put them all?

Think i must have missed someone making that proposal.

there is a pretty large middle ground between doing nothing and sending someone to jail.

[MrPin]

agreed

saw a complete tool recently driving a bentley fairly fast whilst smoking a pipe, talking animatedly into his phone which he'd wedged in between his ear and shoulder and............... shaving with an electric shaver.

Hey, that's my dad!

[loginandtonic]

You have to get this in perspective, lots of things are dangerous, driving in the first place, cycling a bike in London, smoking, having sex etc etc. When we go down the route of seriously punishing people for individual offences that will not stop others from doing equally dangerous things then we are in a lot more trouble. Do you lot propose we lock up people that talk on their phones whilst driving? Where would we put them all?

i am against any nannying and police state-like country believe you me, but i am 100% sure driving while using a mobile is one of the riskiest things on the roads and unlike not wearing a seatbelt which just harms the offender-driver, not abiding by the mobile phone ban harms others sometimes fatally. almost every time someone does something stupid on the road you can see they're on their phone. fiddling with the radio, interogating the trip computer or sat nav - all bad enough - but mobile phone use adds an extra needless dimension of risk.

actually - any serving officers on here tell me if using a mobile while parked up with the engine ON is illegal - i suspect it might be, btw.

[pie-eater]

You have to get this in perspective, lots of things are dangerous, driving in the first place, cycling a bike in London, smoking, having sex etc etc. When we go down the route of seriously punishing people for individual offences that will not stop others from doing equally dangerous things then we are in a lot more trouble. Do you lot propose we lock up people that talk on their phones whilst driving? Where would we put them all?

3 points and £60 fine suffices. And if they get caught thrice (less if they already have points) they lose their licence for a year.

Then, if they get caught driving when disqualified, then prison is possibility.

[pie-eater]

i am against any nannying and police state-like country believe you me, but i am 100% sure driving while using a mobile is one of the riskiest things on the roads and unlike not wearing a seatbelt which just harms the offender-driver, not abiding by the mobile phone ban harms others sometimes fatally. almost every time someone does something stupid on the road you can see they're on their phone. fiddling with the radio, interogating the trip computer or sat nav - all bad enough - but mobile phone use adds an extra needless dimension of risk.

actually - any serving officers on here tell me if using a mobile while parked up with the engine ON is illegal - i suspect it might be, btw.

If the handbrake is applied and parked up then they aren't in control of the vehicle, so ok. I think.

[Tin Foil Hat]

Check Honest John forums - I think even with engine off but keys in ignition it still counts - someone was saying put the keys openly on top of the dashboard so it's 110% clear you are not driving the vehicle.

TFH

[loginandtonic]

If the handbrake is applied and parked up then they aren't in control of the vehicle, so ok. I think.

Check Honest John forums - I think even with engine off but keys in ignition it still counts - someone was saying put the keys openly on top of the dashboard so it's 110% clear you are not driving the vehicle.

TFH

I'll try to find out for sure + report back.